Final Fantasy Type-0: Ace Breakdown

Welcome to the Type-0 Breakdown. Over the next couple of months, I’ll be giving a rough breakdown on the characters and other aspects of Square Enix’s upcoming release, Final Fantasy Type-0. While these won’t be in-depth guides that will tell you how to gear or exploit the game, they will be brief introductions to the characters, as well as character stat rankings. I’ll be telling you what’s going to be good for beginners, a challenge for advanced players, and which character personality might drive you nutty. All of it will be spoiler-free, so fear not. This will just be a quick glance to get you geared up and pumped to play!

Please note that there is the possibility that abilities or other small changes may be made in the translation of the game. The information in the guide is based upon the existing Japanese terms and controls used. Very little is expected to change in the released game.

It’s been a long time coming, but Final Fantasy fans can finally rejoice: Final Fantasy Type-0 is set to be released for the PS4 and Xbox One. Originally released in 2011 for the PSP in Japan, the game will be released on March 17th for North America, March 19th for Australia, and March 20th for Europe, as well as being re-released on March 19th for Japan.

The game takes place in the same mythos as the Final Fantasy XIII series, as well as the upcoming Final Fantasy XV, Fabula Nova Crystallis. While I won’t get into the nitty-gritty details, the short of it is a rather expansive philosophy: A world divided between the mortal realm and an unseen realm of the afterlife where a defeated goddess hides. There’s also a supporting cast of divine-like beings called Fal’Cie who manipulate mortals to their own whims and desires. Bit of trivia for you all: The basis of the Fabula Nova Crystallis is very similar to the Shinto creation mythology.

While we won’t be seeing any old, familiar characters from the FFXIII series in Type-0, you’ll notice some similar trends, like powerful Fal’Cie turning mortals into l’Cie; who must then complete the task given to them or risk turning into the zombie-like cie’th. The world of Orience is at war, and it’s up to the protagonists–students of the Class Zero–to save the day. How many protagonists, do you ask? How about fourteen?

While the game has been out for over three years now, not everyone is familiar with the characters, or may be overwhelmed by the choices, as well as the variety of play styles. Over the next couple of months leading up to the release, it’s my goal to help folks get an idea of the different characters, and how they play. These won’t be in-depth guides, but rather a quick overview to help folks figure out what character might best fit their style.

Also, eye-candy. Because these characters are beautifully rendered.

So, let’s start from the top. Meet Ace, the gambler!

Ace is a bit of a pretty boy with a cool look and sharp eyes, the type who stays calm and mature until his friends are in danger. He enjoys chocobos and tends to be reserved around those who aren’t in Class Zero. While there is no ‘main character’, Ace is the character featured on the cover of the Day One editions of the game.

You may have noticed that Ace is not holding a weapon, but is instead holding a deck of cards. Yep, Ace is a fan of Gambit from the X-Men, apparently. While one might worry that such an unconventional weapon might be tricky to play, Ace is meant to be a beginner-friendly character. Ace is described as a ‘quick ranged’ attacker, hurling his cards at his enemies with different effects. While his HP is one of the lowest and the rest of his stats are fairly average, Ace makes up for it with a fantastic dodge: teleportation. For new or unexperienced players, the ability to teleport out of large crowds is essential.

Ace tends to just hurl his cards at his enemies, but tilting the analog stick up or down can change his attack to a circle of cards around him for a melee attack, or charging up to five cards to launch at his enemies upon releasing.

Ace has several special abilities, the first and foremost being Deck Open. Deck Open draws one card at a time, and can draw up to four. Depending on what cards he draws, his final ability will be one of the following:

Shadow Step – Caused by drawing a majority of white cards. Ace feints and directly attacks his opponent, as well as having the chance to cast Stop on his opponent.

Ace’s other deck abilities heighten his ability to draw cards of certain colors. Attack Deck boosts the chance to draw red cards, while Support Deck boosts the draw chance for white cards, Spirit Deck for yellow cards, and Life Deck for blue cards. Other notable abilities of Ace’s include Trap Card, which transports him into the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! and sends his opponents to the Shadow Realm.

Okay, not really. It lays a trap that can be activated to damage any enemies within it on the ground, but it sounded better the way I said it, right? Ace also has the ability Cannon Laser, which is exactly what it sounds like: A giant laser that blasts any enemies in his way.

Ace’s stats are ranked as the following among all the characters:

HP – 12th

MP – 8th

Strength – 10th

Defense – 12th

Flame Magic – 9th

Cold Magic – 8th

Lightning Magic – 5th

Defense Magic – 6th

Overall, Ace is a well-rounded character who is excellent for new players. His stats won’t stand out against the others, and having the third-lowest HP can be a bit of a risk, but he does have the best dodge compared to the other characters.

Stay tuned for the next character breakdown: Deuce, the bard.

Checking out the Type-0 Breakdown for the first time? Here’s a list of everything you’ve missed!

What else would you like to see me cover before the game’s release on March 17th (NA), March 19th (Japan re-release and Australia), and March 20th (Europe)? Comment down below and tell me what you would like to see covered after I tackle the characters!

Kayla Swenson is an aspiring author and former DJ from Seattle, WA that procrastinates far too much with video games to get a book out. When she’s not gaming until carpal tunnel sets in, she’s working on dreams of being a voice actor as well as a published writer. Fond of RPGs, she will happily disappear into the void to tackle whatever bad voice acting awaits. Contact her at the email above, or on all major systems/networks as Beltravi.